Obesity is not your fault…
Really? Did you just say that out loud? Is that your slogan? Seriously?!
I was beside myself this morning when I woke up and noted that there were several comments left of my facebook pages from someone who I guess is Ms Canada 2011. She was calling me a spammer and was pretty aggressive and rude about it. Of course, I deserved it because I spammed her, plus as nothing more than a hypnotist, I am just a scam to begin with… It was all a bit of a rude awakening so to speak.
Natural Weight Loss WIN!
Being new to the whole facebook page thing, I’ve turned over this responsibility to helpers who know. I guess a comment was left on their community page about 21 Days to a Slimmer You program and Ms Canada, the guardian of comments on this page was not too pleased. She gathered momentum with other people joining in bashing me and even went out of her way to go to my professional clinic pages and left me condescending comments as well. I was impressed she had so much time and energy to bother!
I did contact her directly and apologized for the comment and reported her comments as spam to facebook. I suggested she do the same and just tick the upper right hand corner of comments such as this as spam and let her get back to fulfill the duties of her title. I would after all feel horrible to know that guarding spam took her away from much more pressing responsibilities!
Which led me to look at the site she was promoting. It seems before her crowning she was a bit heavier and had a gastric surgical procedure to help her to shed those pounds that have given her the means to achieve her crown. She is now the spokesperson (and guardian of spam) for this company whose slogan is: “Obesity is not your fault.”
There are also other claims on the website such as: The only permanent treatment of severe or morbid obesity is bariatric surgery.” and ”In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless.”
WOW. I’m gonna try to push through speechlessness here… OK. It’s safe to say I’m feel aghast at these claims and the slogan. ANY WEIGHT LOSS THAT DOESN’T PROMOTE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS A FAIL IMO.
What kinda of age do we live in where people would be so blind to think that they are not responsible for their size, weight, lifestyle, eating habits, exercise routine or lack of it? Where companies would promote lack of personal responsibility and teach people that obesity is not their fault? That nothing they do will work? Where SURGERY would be the logical conclusion before changing eating habits and exercising?
To subject yourself to the RISK, the EXPENSE and the RESTRICTION that having one of these surgical procedures entails, is really beyond my comprehension. It preys on the vulnerable and hopeless stuck in a cycle of unhealthy thoughts, feelings and behaviors — and is UNETHICAL and IRRESPONSIBLE in my opinion.
Surely, it is much more rational to change your relationships with food, improve your self image and your thoughts and feelings towards yourself so you feel more empowered to make healthier choices like eating when hungry, stopping when satisfied and moving your body with moderate exercise? I do realize in some situations and people the surgical option is a viable option, but for the majority of us it is not.
Color me confused. But if you are interested in the latter option – please download my free Ebook – 21 Days to a Slimmer You! – and to clarify – this program doesn’t suggest you will lose everything you need to in just 21 Days, but what it does do is put you on the right path towards permanent and effortless weight loss.
http://www.21daystoaslimmeryou.com *
*NOT sponsored by Ms Canada
2 Responses to “Obesity is not your fault…”
M on 19/02/2012
Actually, Ms Canada was practically quoting what I learned in a Psych class last semester.
Gastric bypass statisically IS the most effective means for a morbidly obese person to lose weight.
And weight gain and obesity is NOT a lapse in personal strength. It is 30% genetic and 70% environment.
What Ms Canada failed to mention is that, before and after the Rouen-Y surgery, it is still necessary to deal with the psychology of overeating/BED. Obesity IS a MEDICAL condition. CBT and hypnosis helps a lot.
All the best, M
Brenda on 21/02/2012
Hi M,
Thanks for the comment. I will disagree with the quote still as it is not statistically significant however probable. If obesity is not your fault and it’s 70/30 split on environment/genetics, then psychologically, the patient has no control over this change. It is still most important to understand that personal responsibility is what I was commenting on – and to put 0% on the person who is eating and not exercising is failure.
It’s like blaming your job (environment) for your feeling stressed out. It may be a factor is contributing to your level of stress, but you need to make the change within the way you react to things which stimulate a stress response. Otherwise, you can change jobs, but still find more things to be stressed about.
I see obesity as a emotional and psychological condition – as a therapist I would… If it was true it was a medical condition then wouldn’t the medical profession not have a crisis on their hands as the drugs / surgery would have worked for everyone? Also, would it be true that there would be no failure rate of gastric band / bypass surgeries? Especially as you say it is necessary to deal with the psychology of overeating?
It’s very complex issue, one worth debating for sure, my blog was merely a rant over the rudeness, hypocrisy and the promotion of victimization mindset of obese people.
Best wishes,
Brenda